Flirt like a Turtle Duck
by ZutaraFan95
Summary: Ursa wants to get a certain boy's attention, but lacks the certain skills to do so. Luckily Bumi is there to help her out. A/N: Picture belongs to Viria on DA and Tumblr. I'm not crediting this picture. Although this story was inspired by it! :D


Unfortunately Ursa had inherited her seducing skills from her father, Zuko. He was such an awkward turtle duck when it came to women. And that had passed down to her. She had tried being suave like her mother, Mai. Or flirty and giggly like Ty lee. She had even gone to extremes and tried downright intimidating like Azula. But when boys wanted her, it was usually for one thing only: to get to her father. They wanted Ursa because she was a prize to be won; a trophy to show off, to say that they had the balls to get with the Firelord's precious princess. She shot them all down. There was only one man she was interested in. And she was going to have to enlist in some help to get him.

"Bumi, I need your help with something."

He looks up at her with amusement and a devious grin crosses his face.

"And what would that be, my dear princess?"

She glistens at the title. A part of her wanted to slap him upside the head, but she forces herself to calm down.

"I, um, need your help developing a certain skill." Spirits this was going to be hard.

"I have a great many skills, madam." He mockingly bows at her and this time she really does slap him upside the head.

"I need your help seducing a man!" She blurts out.

He stares at her for a moment, and then raucous laughter bubbles up out of his throat, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"This is to, much! The heir to the Fire Nation throne needs my help in attracting a mate." He slaps his knees, doubling over.

Ursa stands there, feeling two inches tall, and lets him finish. "Will you help me or not?"

"I demand to be addressed as Sifu Bumi."

"Whatever."

He cups a hand to his ear.

"Whatever, Sifu Bumi."

The first place Bumi led her to was a bar, of all places.

"Watch the master at work," he whispers into her ear and slinks off.

He really did have skill. His genes were infused with Sokka, Katara, and Aang's charisma and he wielded it like a charm. He was a born conversation started and anyone who met him immediately felt as ease around him. In just two short minutes he had three ladies in the corner all giggling like school girls. He would slick back his wild hair and flash an absolutely wolfish grin that set all the girls howling.

Ursa let out a small pout as he came back towards their table. He knocks down a drink, slams it down just as fast. "Piece of cake."

She gulps down her own liquid courage and squares her shoulders back. She could do this. She was the princess after all. If she could handle Admirals and all-day fire bending sessions, then what was a little flirting?

She stands up and heads for the nearest table. It was overflowing with guys from the college in Ba Sing Se. She flips her hair back and puts one foot in front of the other in a sultry strut. She locks eyes with them and for a single moment she feels on top of the world. It shatters when she crashes into the busboy in front of her. They both tumble to the floor, limbs tangled together. Fire whiskey spills all down her front, appetizers now ending up in her long raven hair instead of on the customers table. The college boys start howling and pointing fingers. They bang their hands on the table, making the whole bar come alive at her expense. She glances at Bumi, who has shrunk down so low in his seat that he is almost under the table. She grabs the last remaining liquid flask on the busboy's tray and slurps it down.

"What in spirits name was that?" Bumi yells. "That was just awful. All you had to do was walk over there! Not cause a spillway in the middle of the bar."

She firebends herself dry and tries her best to look nonchalant. "Look, I know I need work. That's why I came to you."

"I didn't say I could work miracles."

"Bumi!"

"Sorry," he sits down beside her. "We'll keep practicing, okay?"

"Thanks…Sifu."

"Why didn't you ask your mom for help? She's pretty good at this stuff."

"She said I was a lost cause after I burned a hole in one of my last suitor's uniforms."

Foam started forming at the corner of his mouth.

"It was an accident, I swear." She holds up her hand. "When I'm nervous, I set things on fire."

He lets out a nervous chuckle. "Guess I better not make you nervous then."

He stands up, pulling her with him.

"Let's go my little arsonist."

"Where? Not to another bar, I hope."

"We're going dancing."

They were dressed in their most swankiest clothes; Ursa, in a red flapper style dress that hung very loosely around her figure and Bumi in brown suede pants that billowed around the ankles. The club was very dim inside, playing popular songs like "Hittin' on All Sixes" on a new invention called the "radio." People partied inside like the war had never happened and Republic City had been here forever.

"I've heard about clubs like these. But my dad would never let me go in one."

"Oh, princess your missing out." Bumi drags her into the middle of the fray and into a dance. They find their rhythm immediately and are soon in sway with the rest of the crowd. It was a fast pace song and left her feeling breathless and full of ecstasy. Bumi could dance as well as he could talk. Full of energy, he led with confidence and never missed a beat. She had been taught a few traditional Fire Nation dances as a kid, but never one with so much life and freedom. She felt in total ease.

They sit down at a table near the back and wash down their breathlessness with whiskey. Bumi leans back in his seat, arms propped up, and points his drink at her.

"Since your pumped full of alcohol, I'm going to let you do this round on your own. I'll judge from the sidelines."

"Okay. Who should I go up to this time?"

"Anyone you want to. Just find someone and ask them to dance. Simple."

She knocks back the rest of her drink and stands up. She scans the club for the restroom, finds one, and then heads inside.

Her hair was a complete mess. Her face beat red and sweaty from all the dancing. Her palms started to get itchy so she wiped them on her dress. Immediately she regretted it. What if it showed on the fabric? How did Bumi do this with so much ease?

She shakes her hair out of its topknot letting it coil loose around her shoulder. She splashes some water on her face, then when she felt ready enough, headed outside.

She spots the table easily enough. Her steps are sexy, even though her heart is pounding with the beat of the music.

She steps in front of him and in her most alluring voice, asks," Would you like to dance?"

Bumi stares at her slack jawed for a moment. "Princess, you can't hit on your teacher. It doesn't count!" Then it dawns on him and a slow smile creeps across his face and he lets her pull him out onto the dance floor again.

"So it was me all this time, huh?"

"Yeah, you caught me." She grins sheepishly.

"How come you didn't just come straight out and ask me?"

"Because I needed a plan befitting a mad genius."

He throws his head back and roars with laughter. Then places his brown calloused hands on her porcelain cheeks and kisses her oh, so tenderly. One, in which, she has been waiting a long time for.


End file.
